Article carrier



E. L. ARNESON ARTICLE CARRIER May 20, 1958 Filed Jan. 14, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. [42221472 I. d/vzeaorz,

May 20, 1958 E. ARNESON ARTICLE CARRIER 5 SheetsSheet 2 Filed Jan. 14 1953 y 0, 1958 E. L. ARNESON 2,835,408

ARTICLE CARRIER Filed Jan. 14, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN VEN TOR.

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ARTICLE CARRIER Filed Jan. 14, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORQ [aka/422, Z. alvzeaarz,

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ARTICLE CARRIER Filed Jan. 14, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 p PW J56 IN V EN TOR. I Zazz/az law 26.9072,

United ARTICLE CARRHER Application January 14, 1953, Serial No. 331,230

4 Claims. (Cl. 220-413) The present invention relates to improvements in a paperboard carrier for bottles and like articles of uniform size and shape, and to an improved method for constructing such carriers from a one-piece paperboard blank of a minimum size in relation to the high degree of strength and rigidity possessed by the carrier which is the product of the method. This application is a continuation in part of my copending application Serial No. 305,776, filed August 22, 1952, now Patent No. 2,772,610.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved article carrier which is characterized by a very strong suspending and partition structure, constituted by two longitudinal partition panels of full depth and Width which are adhesively secured in rigid, board-like relation to one another, together with a further partition defining structure which is adhered to the two panel longitudinal partitions and to opposed side walls of the carrier paralleling the latter, thus further reinforcing the longitudinal unit and at the same time defining cross partition elements which are of substantial depth.

A further significant object of the invention is to provide an improved bottle carrier of the sort referred to in the preceding paragraph which, in a preferred embodiment of two forms illustrated herein, is provided with terminal reinforcing flaps on the cross partition elements, these flaps being bent 180 in relation to the respective cross partition elements and secured thereto, thus to double the thickness of the protection afforded at the bottle separating zones atent O thereof, so that a carrier fabricated of, say, 20 point paperboard stock will afford the bottle protection of a 40 point stock, without substantial increase in the amount of board required.

Another object is to provide a method for making carriers as described in the preceding paragraphs.

The foregoing statements are indicative in a general way of the nature of the invention. Other and more specific objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon a full understanding of the construction and operation of the improved carrier and method.

Two embodiments of the invention are presented herein for purpose of illustration. It will be appreciated that the invention may be incorporated in other modified formscoming equally within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a top plan view of a one-piece flexible paperboard blank employed in fabricating one form of the improved carrier;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view illustrating the blank of Fig. 1 following a preliminary folding and application of ad.- hesive thereto, also indicating in dot-dash line a succeeding folding operation;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the blank after further folding operations upon same, and showing yet another application of adhesive to certain areas thereof;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the completed carrier in a flat, knocked-down condition;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view, partially broken away, of

Zdiditdd the carrier in erected condition, ready for the reception of its intended contents Fig. 6 is a top plan view of a paperboard blank employed in fabricating a bottle carrier in accordance with a further refined and improved embodiment of the invention, indicating a preliminary application of adhesive;

Fig. 7 is a plan view following initial operations on the blank of Fig. 6, indicating the gluing preceding the next fold;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view illustrating a detail of a folding and gluing operation performed on the partially folded blank of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a plan view illustrating the condition of the article after a succeeding fold, and indicating a further application of'adhesive;

Fig. 10 is a plan view showing the blank as folded from the position of Fig. 9, with a next gluing shown by stipp Fig. 11 is a plan view of the article after a still further folding step is performed, also indicating an adhesive application prior to the final folding operation;

Fig. 12 is a plan view of the completed carrier in its flat, knocked-down condition;

Fig. 13 is a perspective view, partially broken away, showing the carrier in erected, article receiving condition, and illustrating particularly the reinforcement of its cross partitions to afford double ply protection in the bottle separating zones thereof; and

Figs. 14 and 15 are, respectively, views in transverse vertical section and in horizontal section along lines corresponding to lines 14-14 and 1515 of Fig. 13.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, the carrier in accordance with the basic principle of the invention is constructed from a fiat blank 10 of flexible paperboard stock which is of generally rectangular outline. This blank is exactly symmetric about a theoretical transverse medial line a-a (vertical as viewed in Fig. 1) extending through the mid point of its transversely spaced, rectangular side wall forming panels 11, 12. It is also approximately symmetric about a medial longitudinal crease line 13 through its bottom forming section 14 which connects panels 11, 12. This bottom forming section is subdivided into two identical panel sections by the crease 13, these panel sections being integrally hinged to side wall panels 11, 12 by longitudinally extending marginal creases 15. Accordingly, due to the symmetry of the blank with reference to the hypothetical transverse line referred to above, corresponding elements and relationships thereof which are found at opposite ends of the side walls and bottom section will be designated by corresponding reference numerals.

Each of the side wall panels 11, 12 has a pair of end wall panels, designated 16, 17, respectively, integrally hinged to its opposite ends by means of transversely extending creases 18, 19. End wall panels each in turn have a partition forming structure integrally hinged thereto by the respective transverse creases 20, 21 which parallel creases 18, 19.

These partition structures are constituted by longitudinal partition-engaging panel sections 22, 23 adjoining creases 20, 21 respectively, by cross partition panel sections 24, 25 which are integrally hinged to the respective sections 22, 23 by transverse creases 26, 27, and by terrninal glue laps 23, 29 hinged to section 24-, 2:5 by transverse creases 31, 32 respectively.

A longitudinal partition and suspending panel 33 is integrally hinged to the inner margin of each of the panels 22 by a longitudinally extending crease 34 paralleling medial bottom section crease 13. Creases 34 extend oppositely from points at one side of the respective panel hinge creases 20 and terminate at the inner extremity of the next panel hinge crease 26. Longitudinal partition I panels 33 are then separated from the cross partition structures by longitudinal slits 35 extending outwardly from the ends of the blank to the outer termini of the respective slits 35.

Each of the longitudinal partition panels 33 is separated from the crossv partition structure at the opposite side of the blank by means of a longitudinally extending slit 37, which defines the upper margin of the handle portion of the longitudinal partition which is to be constituted by panels 33. Blank is notched out at 38 to space the ends of glue laps 29 from longitudinal partition and suspending panels 33. Each of the panels 33 is also provided with conventional hand hold openings 39 having flaps 40 integrally hinged to the upper margins thereof.

Bottom member 14 is provided with reinforcing and stabilizing flaps 41 at either end thereof, these flaps being integrally hinged to the bottom by transversely extending creases 42 in alignment with side wall margin creases 18, 19. Flaps 41 are separated from longitudinal partition panels 33 by means of transversely extending slits 43. Each flap 41 is also subdivided into two like halves by a longitudinally extending crease 44 aligned with medial bottom crease 13. Slots 45, 46 arev formed in flaps 41 at opposite end extremities of the subdividing creases 44.

It will be noted that longitudinal partition panels 33 are both of substantial longitudinal dimension, being somewhat larger in this respect than the sum of the widths of any two of the panels 22, 23, 24 or 25 of the cross partition structure. They are also substantially greater in their transverse dimension than the side walls 11, 12 or any of the panels of the cross partition structure. Hinge creases 34 and separating slits 35, 37 are located somewhat outwardly, in the transverse sense, of the creases which define the lower margins of side walls 11, 12 when the carrier is completed.

The improved carrier is formed from blank 10 on a standard right angle gluing and folding machine. The blank is first fed in a direction paralleling side wall marginal creases 18, 19, and in the first folding operation the cross partition panel elements 24, on the left hand side thereof, as viewed in Fig. l, are swung upwardly, inwardly and downwardly about creases 26, 27, respectively, leaving this portion of the blank in the con dition illustrated in Fig. 2. Adhesive is now applied to glue laps 28, 29 on the opposite side of the blank, as indicated by stippling. The next operation is that of folding the respective sets of cross partition panels 22, 24, and 23, 25 on that side, together with their longitudinal panel 33 and respective glue laps, upwardly, inwardly and downwardly about transverse creases 20, 21. End bottom flap 41 may be folded upwardly, inwardly and downwardly about crease 42 and onto section 14 as panels 22, 24 and 23, 25 are manipulated in the fashion just described, or may be so folded just prior thereto, insuring that when they are foldedthe flap underlies panel 33.

This brings these members to the position shown by dot-dash lines in Fig. 2, glue laps 28, 29 being adhered to the respective side wall panels 11, 12, and panel 33 partially overlying bottom 14. The next operation is that of folding the previously infolded cross partition panels 24, 25 on the left hand side of the blank, along with the associated cross partition panels 22, 23 and end wall panels 16, 17, about the creases 18, 19, respectively, which articulated the same to side wall panels 11, 12. The second bottom end flap 41 may be folded simultaneously, or prior to this, like the other flap 41, about its'hinging crease 42. As a preliminary to the panel folding operation referred to, the glue laps 28, 29 on panels 24, 25 are given a coating of adhesive, as indicated by stippling in Fig. 2. Adhesive is similarly applied to that portion of the area of the associated panel 33 which will overlie the other panel 33 when the blank medial bottom section crease 13.

4 is so folded. This adhesive is also indicated by stippling in Fi 2.

Following these operations of gluing and folding, the blank appears as illustrated in Fig. 3. Glue laps 28, 29 are adhered to side wall panels 11, 12 respectively and panels 33 are adhered in partially overlapped or fanned, face-to-face contact.

Adhesive, indicated by stippling, is now applied to the exposed upper surfaces of the two panels 22, to which the longitudinal partition panels 33 are hinged, after which the overlapped panels 33 are folded as a unit about their respective creases 34-, causing a composite, two ply partition and suspending member 48, composed of panels 33, to be adhesively secured to panels 22, thus adding a third ply to its thickness.

The next step is the application of adhesive to the exposed upper surface of the panels 23, whereupon the two halves of the blank are folded upon one another about Member 48 is thus adhesively secured to the other pair of longitudinal partition engaging panels 23, adding a fourth rigidifying thickness to its structure.

The, carrier, illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawings, is now inits fiat, knocked-down and completed condition. It is erected in well known manner, to the operative position illustrated in Fig. 5 by simply applying compressive force to its opposite ends, represented by the opposed marginal creases 20, 21 and 18, 19. The longitudinal partition panels 33 are overlapped and adhesively secured to one another over a substantial area and throughout the major portion of the height of the partition and suspending member 43. The latter is materially stiffened and rigidified by its various component panels and their adhered connections. With this very rigid member as an anchor, the cross partition elements 24, 25 are adhesively secured over substantial glue lap areas to the respective side walls 11, 12. It will be noted that the sets of glue laps 28, 29 face in the same longitudinal direction as the result of the compound folding operations described below.

Full depth bottle protection is afforded by panels 33, extending the full length of the completed carrier, due to the substantially overlapped relationship of its two main components. Member 48 also projects vertically a substantial distance above the wall structure of thecarrier, affording a well reinforced suspending grip. A large area is presented for the reception of printing or ornamentation, due to the substantial depth of the walls of the carrier. Because of its integrally connected, nonglued bottom construction, the carrier may be repeatedly used under adverse conditions.

It is another noteworthy feature of the improved carrier that the blank 10 from which it is fabricated calls for an absolute minimum of material, considering its size, strength and protective values. This results from the fact that bottom section 14 and both of the longitudinal partition panels 33 aretaken from the interior of the blank, rather than being appended marginally.

A further refinement and improvement on the carrier construction illustrated in Figs. 1 through 5, is illustrated in Figs. 6l5 inclusive. Here the bottle protection afforded by the carrier, particularly at the cross partition thereof, is increased by the improvement to at least double the thickness of the stock from which the blank 50, shown in Fig. 6, is fabricated. This blank is much the same as the blank 10 of Fig. 1, save for certain additional features to be described, and for the fact that bottom reinforcing members at the ends of its bottom panel have been omitted, in the interest of simplicity and clarity of disclosure. Accordingly, reference numerals correspond to those employed in Fig. 1, with the addition of a prime, will be employed to designate corresponding parts and relationships; and descriptive matter which would duplicate the disclosure pertaining to Figs. 1-5 inclusive will be eliminated.

assume Referring to Fig. 6, the main difference between the blank 50 and the blank is that the longitudinal partition and suspending panels 3.3? of the latter are increased outwardly in size, in the longitudinal direction, to a length equal to that of the side wall forming panels 11', 12'. In addition to this, the essential difference between the two blanks resides in the fact that the terminal flaps 51, 52

which are conjoined by creases 31, 32 to the cross partition structure are larger in size, in the longitudinally extending dimension thereof, than the glue flaps 28, 29 of the blank of Fig. 1. This increase in stock can be allocated to the flaps 51, 52 as a result of the provision of the larger size panels 33.

Each of the flaps 51, 52 has an internal tab 53 excised therein by means of a U-shaped slit 54, the termini of the arms of the slit lying at the respective creases 31, 32' by which the flaps are hinged to the cross partition panels 24, 25', respectively. Tabs 53 are located midway of the transverse dimension of the respective flaps 51, 52.

Further dilferences between the blanks it and 50 are minor in nature, for example, in respect to the hand hole provisions 55 in the latter, the provision of a bottom supporting lug S6 to engage bottom panel 14' and assist in holding the carrier in erected condition (Figs. 13, 14 and 15), and the like.

In completing a carrier from the blank of Fig. 6, adhesive is first applied to the two terminal flaps 51, 52 at the right hand end of the blank, as indicated by stippling, whereupon these flaps, together with their associated tabs 53, are folded upwardly, inwardly and downwardlyabout their hinging creases 31, 32, respectively. At the same time, the left hand cross partition panels 24,

and flaps El, 52 associated therewith are bodily folded causing the flaps to adhere to panels 24, 25, as shown in Fig. 8. Following this, adhesive is applied to the exposed upper surface of the tabs 53 at the left hand blank end, whereupon panels 16, 17', with the other panels and flaps conjoined to the left thereof, are bodily swung upwardly, inwardly and downwardly about the respective creases 13, 19.

This leaves the blank in the condition shown in Fig. 9, the tabs 53 being secured to the respective side wall forming panels 11, 12. Next, adhesive is applied to one of the panels 33 and to the upper exposed surfaces of the right hand tabs 53, whereupon panels 22, 23, together with the appended panel and flaps to their right, and also the right hand longitudinal partition and suspending panel 33, are swung bodily about creases 2t), 21. This causes right hand tabs 53 to be adhered to the sidewall forming panels ll, 12', in longitudinally spaced relation to the other set of tabs 53. The two partition and suspending panels 33' are also adhesively secured to one another; the article is left in the condition illustrated in Fig. 10 of the drawings.

Adhesive is now applied to the upper surfaces of the two panels 22', as indicated by stippling in Fig. 10, whereupon the adhesively secured panels 33' are folded about their respective creases 34 and adhered to panels 22', placing the carton in the condition shown in Fig. 11. Finally, adhesive isapplied to the opposed pair of panels 23' and the article is folded upon itself about the medial bottom crease 13. This causes panels 23 to adhere to one of the panels 33 and completes the carrier, which is illustrated in a flat, knocked down condition in Fig. 12 of the drawings.

In erected condition, the carrier, illustrated in Figs. 13, 14 and 15, presents all of the structural features found in the first described embodiment, plus a longitudinal and partition and suspending member, generally designated 57 which is of the full height and width of the erected carrier, and cross partition members, generally designated 58, which are made of two-ply thickness at the bottle separating zones by means of the reversely folded flaps 52. These partitions are adhesively secured to the side walls 11, 12 by the tabs 53 excised from those flaps. Double bottle protection is afforded without a significant increase in the size of the paperboard blank 50 from which the improved carrier is made.

By employing the features of the invention, it is possible to fabricate a very strong and strongly braced bottle carrier from a relatively inexpensive blank and still provide the insurance of double its points of stock in the critical areas where bottle protection is needed. Similar protective thickness. of stock is found in the longitudinal partition, which is two plies in thickness in its central zone and of greater thickness on either side thereof.

I claim:

l. A paperboard article carrier comprising, in completed and erected condition thereof, a bottom panel, a pair of upstanding side wall panels integrally hinged to opposite side margins of said bottom panel, an end wall and partition forming structure integrally hinged by an upright crease to each end margin of each of said side wall panels, each structure comprising at least three panels integrally hinged to one another by crease lines paralleling the crease hinging the same to the said side wall panel, said panels constituting, in order from said last named crease, an end wall panel, a longitudinal partition forming panel and a cross partition panel at a right angle to a side wall panel, a glue member integrally hinged along a vertical hinge line to the terminal edge of each of said cross partition forming panels and secured to a side wall panel, and a longitudinal partition member integrally hinged to the lower margin of each of two of said longitudinal partition forming panels, said longitudinal partition forming members each having an integral handle forming portion extending along the edge opposite the hinged connection thereof with said longitudinal partition forming panels and above the upper margins of the side and end wall panels, said longitudinal partition members overlapping one another over at least a major portion of the area thereof and. being rigidly secured together in face-to-face relation to constitute a longitudinal partition unit of horizontal dimension coextensive with that of said erected carrier, said cross partition members having flaps integrally connected to the terminal edges thereof from which said glue members are excised, said last named flaps being folded and secured in face-to-face contact with the respective cross partition members and being of a size sufficient to cover a substantial area of said cross partition members and to provide a double thickness of material in the article separating zones thereof.

2. A paperboard article carrier comprising, in completed and erected condition thereof, a bottom panel, a pair of upstanding side Wall panels integrally hinged to opposite side margins of said bottom panel, an end wall and partition forming structure integrally hinged by an upright crease to each end margin of each of said side wall panels, each structure comprising at least three panels integrally hinged to one another by crease lines paralleling the crease hinging the same to the said side wall panel, said panels constituting, in order from said last named crease, an end wall panel, a longitudinal partition forming panel and a cross partition panel at a right angle to a side wall panel, a glue member integrally hinged to the terminal edge of each of said cross partition forming panels and secured to a side wall panel, and a longitudinal partition member integrally hinged to the lower margin of each of two of said longitudinal partition forming panels, said longitudinal partition members overlapping one another over at least a major portion of the area thereof and being rigidly secured together in face-to-face relation to constitute a longitudinal partition unit of horizontal dimension coextensive with that of said erected carrier, said longitudinal partition forming panels each being in flatwise engagement with said partition unit over substantially their entire area, said cross partition members having flaps integrally connected to the terminal edges thereof from which said glue members are excised, said last named flaps being folded against and secured in face-to-face contact with the respective cross partition members and being of a size to cover a substantial area of said cross partition members and to provide a double thickness of material in the article separating zones thereof.

3. A blank for an article carrier characterized by a generally rectangular sheet of paperboard material cut and creased longitudinally and transversely to divide the same into a series of integrally connected Wall forming panels, which panels comprise a bottom wall panel, laterally extending side wall panels, four sets of end wall and longitudinal partition panels integrally connected to the ends of the side Wall panels by hinge forming crease lines extending transversely of the blank, and longitudinal partition and handle forming panels at opposite ends of the blank which extend between two sets of oppositely disposed end wall and longitudinal partition panels, and each said set of end wall and longitudinal partition panels comprising in the order named an end wall panel, a longitudinal partition panel and a cross partition panel, said last named panels being of approximately equal dimensions and said cross partition panel having a glue lap on the outer end thereof, said longitudinal partition and handle forming panels each being of a length corresponding approximately to the combined width of the adjoining connected end wall, longitudinal partition and cross partition panels, each of said longitudinal partition and handle forming panel being connected by a crease line to the longitudinal partition panel of one of the adjoining sets of panels and being separated from the remaining panels in the two adjoining sets by longitudinal cuts, and each of said cross partition panels having a reinforcing panel on the outer end thereof which is connected thereto on a transverse crease line and which has a dimension in the longitudinal direction of the blank greater than half the corresponding dimension of the cross partition panel.

4. A paperboard article carrier comprising, in completed and erected condition thereof, a bottom panel, a pair of upstanding side Wall panels integrally hinged to opposite side margins of said bottom panel, an end wall and partition forming structure integrally hinged along an upright crease to each end margin of each of said side wall panels, each said structure comprising at least three panels integrally hinged to one another along crease lines paralleling the ,crease line hinging the same to the said side wall panel, said integrally hinged panels constituting, in order from said last named crease line, an end wall panel, a longitudinal partition forming panel and a cross partition forming panel which is at a right angle to a side wall panel, a glue member hinged to each of said cross partition forming panels and secured to a side Wall panel, and a longitudinal partition forming and suspending member integrally hinged to the lower margin of one of said longitudinal partition forming panels, said longitudinal partition forming panels being in fiatwise engagement with opposite end portions of said longitudinal partition forming member, said longitudinal partition forming member comprising two panels secured together in face-to-face relation and overlapping one another in the area between the inner edges of said first mentioned longitudinal partition forming panels so as to provide a double thickness of material in the article separating zones thereof, said longitudinal partition forming member having a handle forming portion extending along the upper edge thereof and above the upper margins of the side and end wall panels, said cross partition forming panels having flaps integrally connected to the terminal edges thereof which are folded against and secured in face-to-face contact with the respective cross partition forming panels and which are of a size to cover a substantial area of said cross partition forming panels whereby to provide a double thickness of material in the article separating zones thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

